Collin And His Effed Up Imprint
by Bronwyn.B
Summary: Collin never thought he would imprint. Especially not on anyone like Maddison. She doesn't really like him, and she's two years older, which just makes the situation worse. A/N: Re-writing this because I'm starting to hate it, and I already have the first few chapters done. I'll update it soon under a new title, but I'll keep this up for a while anyway - BBxx
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I never thought that something 'rare' would happen to me. Nothing amazing _ever_ happens to me. I'm not the best fighter, the fastest runner or an amazing strategist. I'm just average, but I don't mind. That's why I thought nothing like this would _ever_ happen to me. I guess it just proves that there is nothing normal when you're a werewolf.

- Collin


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Jared_

If I had to describe Maddison in one word, it would have to be… psychotic. Perhaps… no. It definitely takes more than one word to describe her. In all the years I had known her, this was without the weirdest thing she has done yet, and that includes the first thing. You don't need to know the details about that right now though. I'll tell you later… perhaps.

I think I should start at the beginning…

…

"Hey Jared! Maddie's here!" my mom called from the kitchen. I groaned loudly, making sure _she_ hear. Maddison could be a bit of a bitch, but for some reason, my mom absolutely _loved_ her. More than me sometimes I think. No one's actually asked mom though, and we all generally tend to avoid her when she gets all soppy. '_Please let Kim be here!'_ I pleaded with the spirits. I took a quick peak around the doorframe. _Thank you!_

Kim was sitting as far away from Maddie as possible, which, bad for her, was only the other side of the couch. When he saw me, she jerked her head in Maddison's direction without her noticing and widened her eyes, ordering me to get over there.

I immediately walked in and sat between them, slightly closer to Kim of course. Not just because of the obvious reasons, but because Maddie freaked me out. She scared everyone, including her parents and family, which unfortunately included me. She's my cousin, my mom's brother's kid. Maddison Creek – possibly the most terrifying person to walk in La Push. _Ever_.

You should see her. Maddie wears lots of dark clothes, mostly black and grey, but with flashes of colour, like the bright pink socks she was wearing right now. And she draws all over her arms. Lots of creative, artistic drawings. To top it off – her eyes. Thick eyelashes made even thicker with make-up and dark eyeliner. Every single day. I think she's given two or three people heart attacks so far this year. And it's still March.

"How was patrol?" she asked me, beating Kim to it. Kim frowned and rested her head on my shoulder. Another thing – Maddie's known all about werewolves since I changed, almost as long as Emily. Only a few weeks off actually.

"Er, ok…" I leaned back and moved around a little of the sofa, squashing Maddie in the process. She choked and fell forward on the floor, on her hands and knees. She scowled up at me and growled.

"Why do you always do that?" she hissed so only we could hear.

"Do what?" I asked innocently. Kim disguised her laugh as a cough.

"Crush me, then shove me off the sofa, you idiot!" she growled slightly louder.

"Shhh… you don't want Karen to hear, do you? She already thinks you're amazing!" Kim laughed properly this time and Maddie looked like she would explode if she could. As if.

"Are you alright in there?" my mom called.

"Yeah, just perfect!" Maddie called back. Fortunately, my mom didn't understand sarcasm too well. "Actually, I should get going. I'll see you soon Aunt Karen." Maddie grabbed her black leather boots and walked into the hall by the door.

"Are you sure, sweetie? You only just got here!"

"Still too long," Maddison whispered just to me.

"Can you let Collin in please?" I asked as Kim flicked through the TV channels.

"Yeah, fine, whatever, bye." I heard the door open, and the footsteps outside stopped. A few moments, then a long scream that turned slowly into a shriek, then a growl. Maddie stomped back into the lounge, followed quickly by my mom and Collin.

"_Oh my fucking god!"_ she shouted for the people next door to hear.

"What?" I asked, confused. My mom as watching Collin with a shocked expression.

"_What do you mean 'what'? _Haven't you noticed? Look!" Maddison pointed over at Collin. "Your fucking little friend _imprinted_ on me!" She lowered her voice slightly.

"Oh…" No one moved, except Maddie.

"Yes _'oh'_! What the _fuck?_" she screamed again, pulling on her other boot and coat. She stormed to the front door, and I only just noticed the look on Collin's face before he followed her. He was staring at Maddie in adoration or something. "Don't follow me! _Leave me alone!_" She screamed one last time and slammed the door behind her.

_Then_ I moved. I ran into the hall. "Wow…" Collin was staring at the door. "That was… amazing," he said in wonder. You're fucking kidding me.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'scary'," Kim chipped in from the doorway.

"This is _great_!" I moaned.

"Yeah…" Collin said. I raised my eyebrow at him, but he didn't notice.

"No, it's not! You imprinted on my cousin! This is far from great!" I cried, starting to panic. This wasn't something you saw every day.

"Wow…" Collin murmured again. I groaned and grabbed him by the shoulders, steering him into the kitchen, away from anything Maddie-related.

"I don't actually blame either of you for saying that," Kim said, taking my hand. "Poor Collin…" She stroked his hair. I heard footsteps and the front door opened and closed again. Danny and Aidan, two new wolves, walked in.

"Um, Jared, why did your cousin just scream at us?" Aidan asked me cautiously.

"Several times, actually. She scares me," Danny mumbled. Poor Danny too. His twelfth birthday was only a few weeks ago, and he was still pretty small. Way smaller than Maddie actually. He hadn't really grown much since he phased. Aidan was twelve too, and you could tell he was a bit freaked out as well.

I pointed down at Collin, who was sat at the table, staring dreamily into the distance. Aidan leaned to his left to get a better look at Collin's face, muttering, "Jeez, what happened to him?" I found it laughable that everyone felt sorry for Collin and had pretty much forgotten about Maddison, apart from my mom, who looked like she would start crying at any moment.

"Which way was she going anyway?" I asked them. My family would kill me if she did something stupid.

"Uh, that way, I think…" Danny, pointing in the direction of Maddie's house.

"Well, we should go," Aidan said, elbowing his best friend in the ribs.

"Yeah, well, bye!" They ran for the door and sprinted down the road, the opposite direction Maddie went in.

"Do you think we should tell the boys?" Kim asked me, looking at Collin, clearly unsure. She poked his shoulder, but he didn't respond. A bad sign.

"I think Danny and Aidan just went to tell them…" I speculated. "Collin, say something!" I almost shouted at him.

"Wow…" was his reply.

"I think we should go…" Kim nodded in agreement and my mom looked worried.

"Collin, we're going for a walk," Kim said loudly. Collin stood up excitedly.

"Oh man…" I moaned.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Maddison_

This is fucked up. This is _seriously_ fucked up.

_Jared_

So, after five minutes, we were out of the house and on our way to Sam and Emily's. My mom had called my uncle Brandon, Maddie's dad, to check she got home ok, so it was time to leave. I think Collin got the wrong idea, so at first, I almost had to drag him. "Collin, we're kinda going _that_ way, not towards _her_ house." Kim was still worried, and she was holding onto Collin's arm tightly, just in case he decided to drag her in the wrong direction again.

It took twenty minutes to get there; ten more than usual, because Collin was walking _really_ slowly, like he was sleepwalking. As soon as we passed the threshold, we were greeted by an upset Brady, who patted his friend on the back and shook his head sadly. Indeed, it was a sad day, for Collin had become infatuated with the devil's granddaughter.

"Why does he look like he's sleeping?" Charley asked. She poked him just like Kim had, and Collin just mumbled something. "Oh…" Kim pulled her away, shaking her head. Little Charley was the second female werewolf, and while Leah had been nineteen when she phased, Charley was thirteen, the second oldest of the new werewolves/shape shifters.

Her and Brady had been dating since October last year, not long before she'd phased for the first time. Of course, they were still in the honeymoon phase, but at least we only really saw one side of everything; the younger kids hadn't started patrols yet, except for Aidan's brother, Nathan, who's almost fifteen and the oldest out of the seven of them.

Charley's friend Freddie was thirteen too, and he was a lot quieter than the rest of them. So far we knew he grew up in Mexico and moved up here with his parents and sister four or five years ago, and he was fluent in Spanish, so he spoke that a lot with Charley.

Luke and Olly were in the same grade as Charley and Freddie, and they were both twelve, although they weren't far off thirteen too. Luke and Charley fought almost constantly, but neither of their tempers were quite as bad as Olly's. His short fuse was amazing. Worse than Paul's even. Olly could phase with hardly any provocation, yet he managed to keep his lid on at school. God, I can't even imagine what would happen if he phased there. You should have seen what happened after Brady stupidly wondered aloud if he was named after the kid in the movie.

"Hey Em," I raised my hand as Emily walked into the kitchen, combing her fingers through her hair.

"Um," she smiled looking around the room. There were only a few of us here right now. "What's going on?"

"Collin imprinted," Brady supplied quickly.

"On who?" she asked. I looked at Kim. She just shrugged and smiled weakly.

"Maddison," she answered for me.

"It wasn't pretty…" I added.

"We know. We could hear it from here," Charley grinned. Somehow she'd appeared on the counter beside Brady, her hand now completely vanished in his.

"Yeah, it didn't sound too good," Brady laughed. At least someone finds this funny.

"Collin…" Emily was crouched next to him as he sat there, her chin on the table and her hand shaking his arm gently. "Wakey wakey…" She stayed there for a minute, while we milled around and tried to catch his attention.

"Hey Charls," Brady whispered. He looked over at the fruit bowl, and before we knew it, he lobbed an apple at Collin's head, successfully smashing it into chunks that lay scattered around the kitchen.

"Ow…" Collin groaned, covering his head with both arms and resting his head on the table.

"That didn't hurt!" Brady laughed again.

"Yes it did! You threw an apple at my head! Apples are dangerous!"

And he was back.

...

_Collin_

Wow.

That's the only word I can think of that describes it. Maddison is… wow. I could sit here all day and just think about her, if it wasn't for the apple stuck to the back of my head. I mean, it's just cruel to throw fruit at another guy's head. Who cares though? Maddison… I bet if I told anyone what I was thinking, they would say I'd gone nuts; reason 1: for some reason, Jared doesn't really like her, but I don't actually know why; reason 2: for another reason, most people are scared of her. Not scary enough to make Olly run screaming for the hills, but enough to freak Nathan out.

I remember seeing Danny and Aidan running away from someone who must have been her, screaming, "She's coming, she's coming! Run for your _lives_!" or something to that effect. That was before they'd phased for the first time though, and they were just a pair of pre-teens terrified of a sixteen year old girl.

Wow. Sixteen. _Why does she have to be older than me?_ That just makes everything _way_ more unreasonable. I'm fourteen, Maddison's sixteen, which seriously just fucks everything up! She's never going to like me! I was seriously stunned when she started screaming at me. I don't think that's normal… I'll have to ask. Not Jared. He probably wants to kill me.

"Brady?" He looked up at me from where he was picking up apple chunks. "Is it normal for someone to start screaming at you?" He started laughing again.

"Man, I can't believe she did that!" Charley was trying not to giggle from where she was eating her sandwich. "Anyway, why are you asking me? How would I know?"

"Fine… Charley, would you?" I turned to look at her.

"Would I what?" _Girls_. They know what you're talking about but pretend to be dumb anyway.

"Would you… you know…" I am definitely not repeating that question ever again.

"Know what? You mean walk around in March without a coat? No. Definitely not." Way to feign idiocy.

"Charley…" I groaned, sinking back down in my chair.

"Uh, probably not. Unless some guy got all googly-eyed and was like _'I'm never going to leave your side because we belong together forever and ever!'_ I'd probably punch him then," she mused.

Jesus.

"What the hell goes through your mind every day?" Both me and Brady looked up at her.

"Right. Cus I'm gonna share every little thought that goes through my head with a pair of pubescent werewolf boys who can't keep their thoughts to themselves," she scoffed. "As if."

"Sometimes I wonder if you like me, or if you just like insulting me," Brady muttered.

"Mostly the first," Charley muttered back. "So cheer up please. I thought we were gonna watch a movie later. Unless you don't like me any–"

"Enough with the lovey-dovey relationship stuff already!" I cried, dropping my head on the table.

"Sorry," they both mumbled.

I managed to block them out after that and return to my thoughts about Maddison.

I heard Jared and Maddison arguing inside the house, and it was getting progressively louder as I got closer. I heard Maddie whisper, "Still too long," as I started up the path out front. The only reason I was going to Jared's house was to see if they were going to Emily's for lunch. It's a bit weird, thinking about it. I've never purposely gone up to anyone to see if they were eating at Emily's. Yeah, strange.

"Can you let Collin in please?" Jared called. I smiled to myself. Was I really that loud when I walked?

The front door flew open when I was a few paces away from it, and a girl stood there. She was wearing a short-sleeved black blouse, a grey and black plaid skirt, and a bright pink sock. I liked that sock. She had a leather ankle boot on the other foot.

I stared at her, not knowing what to say. I stared at her eyes. They were warm brown, but they were sorta hidden behind her thick eyelashes. They were ringed in black, and it made her look a bit tired. Her hair was almost black, and it hid her face. She looked absolutely amazing… and I've seen her before…

As I stared at her, Maddison's eyes narrowed until they were almost non-existent. Then her mouth opened and she did something I didn't expect. She started screaming, and at first I thought she was scared, until it turned into a growl. She ran back inside, still growling, carrying her second boot in her hand.

I ran in after her and stared as she started swearing. I didn't actually hear most of what she said for some reason, even when she pointed at me and swore again. They she pulled her boot on and ran past me. I tried to follow her, but she started screaming again and slammed the door in my face.

It was amazing.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Maddison_

I can't believe one of Jared's fucking friends _imprinted_ on me! What the hell is happening? Has the world decided to screw my life up or something? That's the only way I can see things right now. Fucking hell this is bad. I mean, this is _really_ fucked up!

Maybe I wouldn't have screamed quite as much if the guy who imprinted on me wasn't _fourteen years old!_ That's just wrong! What was going to happen now? Was he going to follow me around and everything like Jared had with Kim? Or will he just leave me alone for a bit? I really hope the second one happens, only for _forever_.

…

I hate my life right now. Collin follows me everywhere, and I've shouted at him loads so far, a few times when I was walking home from school, twice in front of his friends, and the rest of the time, whenever he got too annoying to stand any longer. He was following me right now as I was on my way to school. _Every single day_ this week, he has turned up outside my house before school, and he waits for me when it's over.

I stopped and span round to face him. "Collin," I said, trying to be calm, "Can you _not_ follow me to school? Like, _ever again?_" He just blinked and I groaned loudly. "If you insist on doing this, then can you at least _say_ something?" I waited a few seconds.

"Uh… hey Maddie…" Was that the best response he could think of? I groaned again and turned round to start walking again. He caught up and walked level with me. "Sorry about that, um, well…" He seriously couldn't think of anything to say. He rubbed the back of his neck while we walked in silence.

"Why do you have to follow me?" I asked, keeping my temper under control.

"Well, uh, I want to." Anything else? "Anyway, _I_ think it's nice to walk with you." No one had said that to me before. "And, seeing as we go to the same school, it seemed like a good idea."

"Is that it?" I said rudely. I sped up a bit, but Collin just walked faster as well. I knew there was no point in trying to run, because he could easily overtake me. I groaned again as we continued to walk.

…

I waited inside for a bit longer than necessary after school, drawing in an empty classroom and hoping that Collin would just give up and leave. I had been there for almost three-quarters of an hour, and nearly everyone had left, except a few of the teachers. When they saw me, they would stare at me like I was crazy, which wasn't that uncommon, but still.

I gave it another five minutes, just to be careful, before I pushed the door open and stepped outside. I looked around, making sure no one was there before walking quickly down the road, constantly on the look-out.

I wasn't even a _quarter_ of the way home when Collin fell into step beside me. I groaned loudly and was about to start screaming at him to leave me alone when he looked down and opened his mouth.

"I came up with some reasons for why I want to walk to school with you," he said quietly. I stopped for a second and looked at him before starting to walk again, adjusting the bag on my shoulder. I nodded for him to continue, so he did. "Well first, I, uh, like you. _Not like that!_" he said quickly, holding up his hands when he saw the look on my face. "You seem nice, even when you go a bit…" I rolled my eyes dramatically. "Yeah, so I think you're kinda funny as well."

"I have _never_ told you a joke or anything," I pointed out.

"I did say kinda, and you're funny when, uh… you get angry."

"Ha ha, yes, it must be hilarious," I said sarcastically. Collin looked like he was going to start laughing when I said that. I looked around and noticed that we were just walking onto my road. I could see my house a half minute away. "Anything else?"

"Oh, yeah. I think you're… pretty." Why did he have to hesitate before finished his sentences? Wait, _what?_ Did I hear right?

"Pretty?" I said quickly.

"Er, yeah…"

"You think… me?"

"Uh huh."

I looked around again. We were outside my house. I stopped. "Fine," I sighed.

Collin didn't say anything at first. "What?" he asked, clearly surprised and confused.

"Fine, you can walk to school with me." I pulled my key out of my bag and inserted it into the lock.

"Seriously?" He blatantly didn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes," I sighed again. "But I have conditions."

"Ok…" This was going to be an interesting chat.

I turned back to face him and started on my ground rules. "No touching, no flirting, _please_ don't ask 'How was your day?' or something equally annoying, _don't_ ask stupid questions, and don't bother me on weekend. If I _really_ wanted to talk to you, I would find you. Clear?"

"Uh, yeah, of course." He shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

"Goodbye, Collin." I pushed the door open and closed it quickly behind me. Collin didn't move for a few seconds, just staring at the door, then he sighed and turned, walking back the way we came. I swear I heard him say something like 'wow.'

…

_Collin_

That was… amazing. She didn't even stop to take a breath when she was telling me what I couldn't do. Her list wasn't very long, but it covered most things. I'd have to talk to her to know what I _could_ do, but I got most things. Why did she have to be so uptight though? None of the others had it like this. _Why me?_

I realised I was still staring at the door, so I turned and walked back in the same direction had come in, back towards me house. I needed to get my homework done before patrol later or I wasn't gonna get it done for tomorrow. I could hear Maddie's heartbeat fading into the distance as I walked away, and I felt a pull behind my navel, trying to tell me to go back.

…

I met Maddie outside her house the next morning. Actually, I got there and just waited for a bit, leaning against the wall. She came out five minutes later, look really good. She'd pulled her hair up into a ponytail that swung down and brushed against her back. There were still bangs covering part of her face though. She was wearing black jeans and a purple t-shirt with matching purple converse. I said the first appropriate thing that came into my head.

"Nice shoes."

"Thanks," Maddie said, fiddling with the strap on her backpack. "We should go."

"Yeah, ok," I agreed, standing up properly and following her down the path. She didn't say much, commenting on the weather once (it was cloudy). I didn't say anything either, walking in step with her and trying not to stare too much.

That's pretty much what we did for next month. She didn't talk very much, preferring to fake interest in her cell phone or whatever else she had in her pockets. I tried to start conversations, but those hopes were shot down pretty quickly. I remember one day in particular when I asked Maddison what she was doing at the weekend. She stared at me like I'd gone crazy and said, "Rule five," loudly.

I answered with an "Oh… yeah, don't bother you on weekends, sorry." She didn't bother to say anything to me for the rest of the week.

Another time, I commented on the drawings that covered her arms. Her reply: laughter and "yeah, it's permanent ink. I used the wrong pen by accident." She sighed and shook her head, muttering, "Idiot," under her breath.

I still don't know who she was talking about.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Collin_

It's early June, and we only have a weeks left of school. It's been just over two months since I imprinted on Maddison. For the first three weeks, she screamed a lot, mostly at me, then she finally accepted that I was going to walk with her before and after school every day, because that was the only time I could see her. The next month, she didn't say much, commenting on things now and again, ignoring me most of the time. But for the last two weeks, she's been talking to me like she does with her other friends, so we just talk most of the way to school.

I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do when school finishes though. I tried asking Maddie, but she refused to answer anything on the topic. I asked Jared, but he didn't have a clue, not that he cared anyway. I definitely wasn't going to talk to Maddison's parents because I wasn't _that_ desperate. Well, I was getting there, but her parents hadn't the faintest idea about the pack, and they didn't ask Maddie about anything _close_ to that.

So I asked Karen, Maddie's aunt the weekend after I asked Maddison. The verdict wasn't good. "Oh, I think Maddison's parents mentioned something about her going on vacation with her friend for a few weeks," she told me.

"W-w-what?" I stuttered. Maddison was going to leave La Push? She was going to leave me?

"She's going to California for two weeks," Karen repeated. _California?_ "Didn't she tell you?"

"No!" I cried. Karen took pity on me and pulled me into a hug. She rubbed my back in wide circles as I rested my head on her shoulder.

"You'll be fine! Maybe she'll tell you next week… And anyway, Maddison isn't going until next month! You have a few weeks with her before she leaves."

"Next month…" I moaned. She was going next month… Why did she even have to go _at all?_ The door closed and Jared walked in, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw us.

He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Why are you hugging my mother?" he asked me.

Karen let go and held me at arm's length, studying my face. "Maddison's gonna leave La Push for two weeks," I moaned again.

"Oh yeah, she said. LA. That's harsh…"

"You knew?" I asked him. "I asked you a few days ago!"

"Don't look at me like that! She only mentioned it yesterday. And it's not like she'd leaving for forever." I tried to imagine what it would be like if Maddie really did leave, and she never came back, but it was physically painful.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow," I said quietly, walking out of the house.

…

_Maddison_

The day was really beautiful when I opened my curtains on Monday morning. This was the last week of school before summer vacation, but I was still getting loaded down with homework. My teachers were being absolute bitches, whining on about how we only had one year left of school before we graduated and how we weren't prepared for the wider world. I knew _I_ was. As long as I got away from La Push and the pack in general, I knew I'd be fine. In fact, I was going to taste sweet, sweet _freedom_ in two weeks' time!

I couldn't wait! Me and Genie had it all planned out. We were gonna drive down to LA and stay at her aunts' for a couple of weeks – maybe longer if we wanted to. We'd probably spend a night at a motel on the way there, but we should arrive there by mid-afternoon the second day if we got enough driving done on the first day.

18 hours in a car – I was not looking forward to that. Sitting on a beach where the water is actually warm _all summer?_ Yes, that sounded nice. I still haven't told Collin though… I know he's asked Jared though. At least I managed to postpone that until Saturday. Oh god, he'd be devastated.

But then again, it's _my_ life and not his, and I wanted to do this. I _needed_ to do this. I needed to get away from La Push, even if it was only for a few weeks. I needed to get away from everyone here. _Everyone_. Him especially.

I pulled myself out of bed and got ready for school, leaving my hair loose. It fell over my shoulders, getting stuck in my mouth when I was trying to eat. God, it was annoying. I need to cut it. Having hair halfway down your back isn't all it's cracked up to be. It would get caught beneath me when I was lying down, ripping hairs out of my skull, and it was _really_ hard to wash. Plus having loads of wet hair stuck to your face isn't nice.

Soon I ready, and I stepped out the door, making sure I didn't shut my hair in it _again_. Weird… Collin wasn't here… he was always here, where was he? I looked around, checking round the side of the house. I found him there once, just waiting there, but there was no sign of him being out here at all.

"Collin?" I called, sweeping my gaze across my street. I sighed, leaning against the house. Maybe he'd be here in a few minutes…

I waited for five minutes, but he didn't come. I looked at my watch. I still had plenty of time before school started, so I started walking, following the weird pull in my stomach to a house a few minutes away. I stopped outside, staring at it. Collin lived here?

The house looked fine, although the dark blue paint was faded and a little flaked near the door. There were a few flowers out front, and a few pieces of wood were in a small pile in the front yard, like they'd been thrown and left there.

"Collin?" I called slightly quieter. I pushed open the little gate, and it squealed in protest, the hinges rusty. I slipped past it, walking round the side of the house. I didn't want to knock on the door, just in case it was the wrong house, so I followed the pull as it led me to a window at the back of the house.

It was open a crack, like someone had climbed through it and didn't close it properly, and I peeked in. This was _definitely_ Collin's room at least. There were posters and pictures stuck all over the walls. If I looked closely enough, I could even see what looked like pages from a computer manual stuck over a small desk.

A massive snore interrupted my thoughts. I looked down at the bed that was pushed against the wall, the head in the corner closest to the window. Collin was there, sleeping in a pair of boxer shorts. I pushed the window open, debating whether or not I should climb inside.

I voted to do it. If _I_ didn't wake Collin up, who would? Plus we had school, so it was a good excuse. I dropped my backpack on the grass and swung my legs in, trying not to make too much noise. I sat on the window sill for a moment watching Collin as he slept. He looked so peaceful, and it seemed a shame to wake him.

Too late. "Collin!" I whispered, kicking his shoulder with the toe of my shoe. Bad idea. That hurt… a lot. I dropped to the floor with a thump, cradling my foot in my lap, letting out a stream of cuss words. Loudly.

He jerked awake, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes with the back of his fist. "What the… Maddison?" he said, seeing me on his floor surrounded by his clothes.

"Hey… Collin," I whispered, trying to control my pain. Collin stood up and lifted me onto his bed before grabbing some sweats from the floor and pulling them on.

"Uh, Maddie, what are you doing in here?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You overslept, so I came and found you." I winced in pain as I pulled off the trainer and rubbed toes. "Fucking hell that hurts. It feels like I kicked a table." He bent down and wrapped his hand around my toes, easing my pain and smiling slightly. I didn't protest, glad it wasn't throbbing anymore.

"Oh, thanks. Just, wait here, I'll be back in a minute." He grabbed some more clothes from the dloor and disappeared out the door.

"Will do…" I whispered. Collin reappeared five minutes later, freshly showered and dressed.

"You ok?" he asked me, looking down at my foot. I'd put my shoe back on and was leaning against the window sill again. I nodded in reply and he looked behind me. "Did you come in through the window then?" he smiled.

"Well, yeah… I wasn't sure if you lived here or not," I retorted quickly. I looked at my watch again. "Oh, look at the time. We better go." I clambered out of the window, grabbing my bag and waiting for Collin to join me. He smiled and laughed before climbing out as well.

…

"I had a question I wanted to ask you earlier," Collin announced as we walked back toward my house at the end of school.

"What is it?" I asked warily. I never knew what to expect from this boy.

"Uh, well…" He paused for a second. "Are you… Are you going to California in a few weeks?" I looked down and nodded.

"I was going to tell you," I said quietly. "I was…"

Collin didn't say anything; he just looked at me sadly, no longer smiling. We didn't say anything until we got to my house. I didn't realise how much that could hurt.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked him hopefully. Why was I acting like this?

"Yeah… bye Maddie." He started to walk back down my path, but he stopped and looked back at me. "And thanks for waking me up earlier…"

"Sure, no problem…" I waved and watched as he turned the corner and disappeared.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Brady_

Collin talked about Maddison a lot after summer vacation started. We let him because we knew he missed her. Most of the time though, he didn't say anything; he just sat there, staring into space, obviously thinking about her. _All_ of us had told him just to go and see her, but he'd refused, saying that she wouldn't want to see him. I personally thought that was a load of crap, and I didn't care if she wanted to see him or not; I just wanted Collin to act normal again. Damn imprinting. It screws you over in so many ways.

"Collin," I said in a bored voice. "Just go and see her already. You're being a miserable idiot and it's depressing me." He shook his head, not moving from where he sat on the sand.

"Definitely," Charley agreed, not looking up from her book. It was kinda meant to be just us, but I just felt sorry for Collin, so I invited him to come too. Yeah… she wasn't over the moon about that… which resulted in the silent treatment – something Charley only did if she was seriously pissed off at you.

"Look, Maddison's over there," I told him, pointing to the other end of the beach. She was pretending not to watch us, but when we looked at her, she turned away quickly.

"So?" Collin asked. This was going nowhere quickly.

"So why don't you go talk to her? Say hello or something?"

"Because she's with her friend, Genie," he growled. He obviously didn't like her.

I turned to Charley desperately. She could ignore me all she wanted, but this was in everyone's best interests right now. "Charley, could you do me a favour please?" I asked her. She closed her book and looked at me, one eyebrow raised.

"Why?" Charley asked, almost hesitantly. I pointed my thumb at Collin. "No."

"Pleeease?" I pleaded with her. "We can go see that dumb movie you were talking about." She smiled mischievously.

"It's not _dumb_, and you have to pay for my ticket. Got it?" I nodded and she grinned again. "What do you want me to do?" I looked over at Maddie. "Oh, that's low, Brady, even for you. I can't believe you're bribing me with a movie ticket to do that!"

"I'm not bribing you, it was your idea!"

Collin looked up at us, instantly annoyed, but before he could argue, Charley was gone. A few seconds later, she popped up next to Maddie, who tripped and nearly fell over. They talked quickly before Charley grabbed her wrist and started pulling her towards us, waving goodbye to Genie. Genie just glared at her, before stalking off. Less than a minute had passed before Charley came back, shoving Maddison into Collin's lap. She moved away from him pretty quickly while Collin just watched her, and Charley sat down next to me. "I want popcorn."

"Uh, hey Maddie…" Collin said nervously. Maddison didn't say anything. She just looked annoyed.

Collin didn't take his eyes off Maddison, and after a few minutes she was staring right back at him. At first it looked like she was trying to psyche him out, but she gave up quickly and just relaxed. We watched them for a little, but after a while, it was even more depressing than Collin sitting there moping. "Imprinting fucks you over," Charley muttered to herself, going back to her book.

"Yeah, hey Collin, man," I said, nudging him. "Collin!" Maddison looked at me instead and touched his wrist, making him snap out of his weird trance. "We got patrol soon." He didn't say anything and didn't move, watching Maddison again.

"Collin," she whispered, reaching out to touch him again. She stopped quickly though and squeaked, "I have to go!" She jumped up and walked off, not looking back at him once.

Charley started laughing. "You scared your imprint off!"

…

_Maddison_

"Maddie! We gotta _go_!" Genie screamed up the stairs at me. I shoved the last thing into my bag, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything, then closed it and lugged it out of my room, down the stairs and through the open front door. "Finally!" She stood next to her car, waiting for me to dump it in the trunk. "It's bad enough your _friend_ just showed up! I mean, he's –"

_What?_ I span around and saw Collin standing there on the sidewalk in front of the house next door. "I'll just be a minute…" I mumbled.

"You _better_ be only a minute!" I started walking toward him and he met me halfway.

"What are you _doing_ here?" I hissed. I didn't mean to sound so harsh, but Collin had already begun to answer.

"Came to say goodbye…" The way he said it could have made anyone think I was on my deathbed.

"Oh. So you aren't going to try and persuade me not to go?" I asked. We'd been through this four or five times since he found out.

"No," he said sadly. "I haven't seen you for a few days, and I thought it's probably a good idea to see you now, cus I'm not gonna see you for a few weeks." He just shrugged and looked at me. I looked down and scratched my head.

"Oh, ok then." He watched me as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. "For fuck's sake, are you gonna stand there or hug me?" I almost screamed, taking a step forward and wrapping my arms around his neck. His arms automatically crossed my back and pulled me closer. "Don't be an idiot, ok?" I whispered.

"I won't…" he breathed in my ear. I let go of him and tried to push him away, but his arms refused to budge.

"Collin. Let go now."

"Sorry," he apologised quickly, letting go of me finally.

"Bye," I whispered again, walking away. He stayed where he was and watched me as I climbed into the passenger seat. I waved to him until he disappeared from view.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N:** for anyone who hasn't seen the changes from the start of the story, a reminder that I've revamped the majority of the chapters because I wasn't happy with them the first time. I'll add Chapter 7 by Thursday evening, but I'm nearly finished with that now anyway. Sorry for keeping you waiting! I'll add another chapter to I Swear by the end of the week too xx

* * *

**Chapter Six**

_Collin_

_Hey Collin!_

_Two postcards in a week, I know! I thought I'd give you an update of the last few days. Basically: Venice Beach, mall, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a different beach, Hollywood sign, and the swimming pool. Genie's aunt Chloe is so cool! She's really nice and we can use anything we want in her house, which is seriously huge! You'd love it here – the weather's great and it hasn't rained once. Last night we had a massive barbeque with some of her neighbours, which was fun, and Genie fell in the pool._

_We might stay two or three more days before we come back, so I'll send you another postcard later._

_Maddie_

…

I finished reading the postcard again and looked at the picture that was in the envelope she's stuck both of them in. It was a photo of Maddison and Genie sitting in a back yard near a pool on plastic chairs. She had her hair loose and was laughing as a Labrador jumped up at her.

_Maddie_.

I read the last line again. _We might stay two or three more days…_ It had only been a week and a half, but I missed her so much already. Why does she have to stay away longer? I groaned loudly and hit my head on the table.

"Don't do that, you'll break it!" Emily warned me.

"Sorry…" I mumbled into the wood. I put the letter on the table, face down.

"Are you reading that thing _again_?" Paul asked me, grabbing it off the table before I could stop him.

"No, give it back!" I moaned, trying to snatch it across the table. I failed so I slipped the photo into my pocket before he saw that too.

"Who the hell is Genie?" He sounded a little confused after he read it.

"Some girl Maddison's friends with. Hate her…" I added quietly.

"Strange name…"

"I know."

"So she sent you a photo?" Ah, crap. He wasn't meant to know about that.

"What photo?" I played dumb. Paul just looked at me and repeated a line off the postcard.

"_P.S. The dog in the photo's called Henry._"

"Give it back," I growled lowly. I looked up at him with my eyes narrowed and my jaw clenched. My muscles tensed and I probably would have punched him or something if Freddie hadn't given me one of his creepy piercing looks. God, I can't believe I called it that. Unfortunately Freddie's a pacifist, and he doesn't even like the_ idea _of fighting someone, unless it's just messing around and it's Charley, which completely ruins the whole rule of not hitting girls.

Emily stood near the counter watching the whole scene, then shook her head and walked over to Paul, holding out her hand for the card. "Give it here," she said, sounding slightly disappointed in him. Paul reluctantly gave it to her and she silently handed it back to me. I glared at Paul while he smiled like a little kid at Christmas. I tucked it into my pocket along with the photo. I wanted Maddie to come back.

…

_Maddison_

_Yesterday_

I rolled out of bed and got dressed for the beach, the same as every other day since we got here. Genie was bound to be asleep; it wasn't even eight yet. I wasn't tired though. Well, maybe a little. I hadn't been sleeping right for the last few days, and it definitely showed.

I sat down on the bed, staring at the back of another postcard. After five minutes of that, I finally picked up the pen. _Hey again Collin_… I stopped before my pen touched the page. I didn't know what to write after that. I would usually write about the last few days, but they had been the same as every other day; beach, shopping, eating out, beach again… I could go on, but I'd just be repeating myself.

So I tried again. _Dear Collin_ – no, too formal. _What's up?_ – no. Absolutely not. That sounded nothing like me. I personally should never say or write that. I tried a few more times, but each time, my thoughts screwed up and they went in the bin.

I really missed home for some reason. I missed my parents and my brother of course, but I missed the smell of the salty spray and the woods mixed together too. I missed my (extended) family, my friends. I missed _him_. I missed him too much to bear. I needed to see him. Today, right now. I _needed_ Collin. I needed him to walk next to me along the sidewalk and be all 'Uh… hey, Maddie…'

"Genie!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I threw open my door and crashed into her room, still shouting, "Genie! Genie, wake up! We have to go home, wake up!"

She grumbled and turned over in her bed to face me. "Why are you screaming at me?" she shrieked.

"We need to go! Now!" I shouted again, yanking the covers off her. "Please!"

"Go where?" she asked. "Why?"

"I have to go back home! I _need_ to go back!" I shouted a bit quieter.

"No! We haven't even been here two weeks, and you wanted to stay longer!"

"Well, I don't anymore!" I knew the sob card would work best in this situation. Big fat tears started growing in my eyes immediately, and they fell down onto my cheeks. "Please Genie! _Please_!" I blubber, wiping my face on my arm. "It's really important. I _have_ to go back!"

"When?" Genie had caved.

"Today."

"What? When though?"

"Now."

"You're joking, aren't you?" I shook my head and wiped away my tears once again. "Fine. Get packing."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I cried, flinging my arms around her neck.

"Sure, whatever, go," she sighed in a bored voice, picking her stuff up and dumping it on her bed.

"Thanks!" I shouted again as I ran out the door.

…

We had everything packed up in the car within the hour, and we left right after breakfast. I drove today, four or five hours straight before stopping to use the bathroom and/or any other facilities. I finally pulled over into a motel at about 7pm, and let me just say that it wasn't the cleanest place in the world.

"You _so_ owe me," Genie hissed as we were going to sleep.

"I know," I whispered back.

…

_Collin_

_Today_

I was still glaring at Paul. He was still smiling. It had been an hour already and neither of us had moved. Rachel had come over and hit Paul around the head as soon as she saw him, then she and Emily had gone into the living room, chatting about _everything_. Me included. _That_ was embarrassing.

"Are you going to say anything _at all_?" Freddie asked. Neither of us moved.

"Stop acting like a pair of fucking retards!" Rachel shouted from the living room. Paul looked up and shook his head, very disappointed with her insult. I closed my eyes and concentrated, listening to everything outside. Maybe I was lucky that I could hear down to the beach, otherwise I wouldn't have heard someone shouting insults along with my name.

"Fuck's sake, Collin, little bastard!"


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Finally, a finished chapter that is almost completely different than the original! Less screaming and tackling, and I actually prefer this one a lot more than the others. It's also longer than the others, so that's good. I'll post Chapter 8 by next Thursday, but if I get it finished before then, I'll post it that day instead. Make sure your check the other chapters so you're up to date if you haven't done so yet xx bb.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

_Maddison_

Genie was driving today. And she wasn't very fast: my punishment for making her leave the luxuries of LA behind – and for sleeping in a disgustingly filthy motel. I had managed to shave off an extra hour or two yesterday through my excessive speeding, but we were probably going to put it back on if she didn't hurry up a bit.

"What part of _important_ don't you understand?" I asked, _trying_ to be patient and understanding.

"The part where horrible motels came into it!" Genie screeched back.

"It was the only one around for miles! And I wasn't about to go backwards!" I cried.

"Don't test me, Maddie…"

"Fine. I'm sorry." Genie sped up considerably after that. When midday came and we stopped for lunch, we were only two hours from La Push. I wasn't allowed to drive because of my weird behaviour, so I was reduced to sitting in the passenger seat, giving directions when needed. I was humiliated.

…

We drove between the houses that dotted the sides of the roads, and I was looking everywhere, trying to find him. The houses all looked nice and pretty and neutral, but the dark blue paint stood out.

"Stop the car," I said.

"What?"

"I said stop the fucking car!" I screamed, undoing my seatbelt. The car was too warm and I felt like I was going to throw up. "I'll be right back," I told Genie as I opened the door.

"Maddie, are you ok?" Genie asked, sounding genuinely worried for once.

"Yeah, sure," I muttered, climbing out and slamming the door shut. I almost ran to the gate and pushed it open, ignoring the squeaking. I walked around the side of the house, hopping over the wood pile. Collin's window was closed and there was no sign of him in there.

"Collin," I whispered to the glass. I walked back around to the car and got back in, slumping in my seat.

"You ok?" she asked me as she pulled away from the curb.

I grumbled in reply, my anger rising and bubbling and some other shit until I just shouted out, "Fuck's sake, Collin, that little bastard!" and kneed the glove box really hard. "Oh, fuck that hurts!" I cussed.

"Seriously Maddison, that was his house? Is that the reason you wanted to come back, so you could stalk a fourteen year old boy?" Back in a pissy mood, obviously.

"I'm not stalking anyone! What kind of freak do you think I am?" I winced in pain, as I stretched my leg out.

"Uh, I don't know, enlighten me!"

Jeez, this was stupid. All I wanted was to come back and find Collin and possibly tell him I was an idiot for going off, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I was in fact an idiot for thinking that. I mean, seriously, I wanted to apologise to a fourteen year old who was actually the one who started following me to school, instead of the other way round.

But he wasn't that bad though, was he? I mean, he put up with my temper tantrums and stuff when I was trying to scare him off. He even put up with all the sarcastic comments and jokes, though I don't think he understood a few of them. And he actually seemed to care about me, although it's a bit confusing.

Either way, I needed to talk to him, because I was either going to apologize for messing him around and stuff, or I was going to carry on as if nothing had happened, and it was just like it was before.

_Where the fuck is he?_

"Maddison, we're here." I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around, focusing on my house through the window.

"Mmm," I agreed.

"You know you're acting like a real bitch, don't you?" Genie sounded seriously bitter as I turned to look at her.

"I know." I stretched my back and removed my seatbelt as she rolled her eyes contemptuously. She huffed and decided to carry on her sentence, even though she obviously wanted me to get out of her car.

"I mean, seriously, what the fuck do you think you're doing? You either have to tell that kid you don't like him, or actually be nice to him. You can't just go around giving him the impression that he actually has a shot when you clearly don't like him," she huffed, her grip tightening on the wheel. Her knuckles started to turn white as her fingers dug in and she scowled at the dash board.

"Uh, Genie, when did I give you the impression that I don't like him?" I asked sweetly.

"Oh, come on, Maddie, you shouted at him in the middle of the street when all he was trying to do was be nice by trying to talk to you. It seems to me that all he wants to do is be friends with you, but you just treat him like shit."

"Gee, thanks. For one moment I thought friends weren't meant to accuse each other of being shallow, cold-hearted bitches, but no, it seems I was mistaken," I smiled at her and got out of the car, grabbing my bags and slamming the boot shut. "See you later," I called, waving as she drove off.

Some people really are bitches, me included.

…

_Collin_

I must be hallucinating. There is no other explanation for thinking I heard someone shout my name and swear at me twice. Really. That is the only reason I can come up with. With maybe the exception of a very angry girl shouting at another guy called Collin. Right. Very likely. Which is why I'm sticking with my first theory.

So I'm going home, because I'm tired and want to forget about today. Brady doesn't seem to understand this, so he's following me. I'd like to say it's the first time, but it's not. When he does this, he's usually planning something, so I wouldn't be that surprised if he decided to make me take a detour.

"You can go home if you want," I grumbled, shoving my hands deeper into my pockets. It didn't matter what I said, Brady would just grin and say something along the lines of 'I'm good', which really didn't help improve my mood.

"No thanks, I'm good." Perfect.

"If everything's _so good_, then why are you following me?" I growled, glaring at him as we continued walking.

"Why are you so pessimistic about everything?" he asked my airily, looking around and smiling some more.

"Because you won't leave me alone," I ground out, lowering my eyes to the sidewalk and trying to focus my attention elsewhere.

"I have a good reason for that," he smiled again. "Anyway, it feels like _ages_ since I saw you last."

"Probably because you're always with your girlfriend," I muttered lowly.

"Hey, you never had a problem before," his tone darkening and becoming more accusatory.

"I don't have a problem, Brady," I said loudly, looking at him quickly. "I just… Forget it, ok?"

Why wouldn't he just go away? It's not exactly helping my mood, and I really don't want to be reminded that while Brady had a great girlfriend and everything, I didn't, because Maddison doesn't like me like that and she probably never will. Ugh, everything's so confusing! Just before she left, it was all going fine and we were sorta talking like ordinary people, but then that thing on the beach happened, and then she hugged me and stuff. It's all _really_ weird right now, and I have no idea what I'm meant to do.

Seriously though, Maddison was just watching me like I do with her, and she was completely normal and wasn't acting like it was stupid or anything, but then Brady had to interrupt and she ran off. Why did he have to say that? I would've been ready for patrol, but he still thought it was a good idea to say something and make her leave! I'm gonna do exactly the same thing one day, and then he'll know how annoying it is.

"Wait a minute," Brady muttered. I stopped and turned to face him again. He was digging in his pockets looking for something. "Have you seen my phone?"

"No, where did you have it last?" I asked boredly. Oh yes, he was planning something.

"At Emily's. I think I had it there."

"You think?"

"Did I use it then? No, I didn't. I could have dropped it on the way there…" he wondered aloud.

"So, which way did you go?" At this rate, his plan would be complete in ten minutes.

"I cut through some tress just up there," he pointed ahead, "and then I just walked along the road." So he wants me to walk through some trees and then do something else.

"Do you want to look there then?" I asked disinterestedly, my shoulders slumping as I kicked at the ground.

"K, might as well start somewhere," he smiled, shrugging his shoulders. He walked ahead of me through the band of trees, looking around as I followed behind. We came out next to a house and followed the road for less than a minute before Brady went, "Hey, found it."

It was in his pocket.

"See ya," he waved behind him as he walked off. Great plan, Brady, make me walk though some trees and then just leave me standing there like an idiot with my stomach feeling like it was going to explode.

Wait a second.

"Brady, what are–" I began.

"Collin?" The pull in my stomach made me turn around without a thought, and I looked right at Maddison. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was staring at me.

"I knew it!" I murmured to myself.

"Knew what?" she asked me, just standing there. "And can you maybe stop with the staring, it's kinda starting to creep me out."

"You swore at me earlier." Crap, I didn't mean to say that.

"Uh, no I didn't, I didn't… _oh_, you heard that?" Maddison grinned and lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. A strand brushed against her collarbone and she fiddled with it for a moment. "I wasn't swearing _at_ you, I was just, uh, turning my frustration into an exclamation. You know, like… yeah."

"Your hair's shorter," I remarked. Some of her hair around her face was shoulder length, and when I looked closer, I could see the rest was only a few inches longer.

"Yeah, I got it trimmed a few days ago, but… it doesn't really feel right, so I'm going to have to wait for it to grow back. Still…" At least I could see her eyes now. They weren't outlined in black or anything today, and up close they're a deep brown with slightly darker specks around the pupil. I've never been able to see them this clearly before, and it was really strange just watching her look up at me. Maddison crossed her arms again over her grey t-shirt and smiled down at her feet.

"So you're back early." I just remembered and it slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Oh, um, I guess. I, uh," she stopped and looked away from me, her lips pursed together. I couldn't help but smile as she avoided completing her sentence. "I don't know, I guess I got a bit homesick," she added after a few moments. I caught her eyes looking up at me even though she pretended to look in a different direction. They shot down again and Maddie laughed for a second.

"You're taller," she said quietly.

"It happens sometimes," I shrugged. We both smiled and her hands lowered to her sides. "You haven't really–"

I was cut off by Maddison's arms locking around my neck as she buried her face in my chest. I raised my hands to cover her back and felt the pull trying to make me hold her tighter. I couldn't help but pull her closer so she was flattened against my chest, and my head lowered so my mouth was by her ear.

"I missed you," she mumbled, barely loud enough to hear.

"I missed you too," I whispered back.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N:** So, yeah... a bit of a wait... I'm sorry! Forgive me! I've nearly finished chapter 3 of Rachel's story, so not much longer to wait!

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

_Maddison_

So I got back yesterday. Found Collin finally. He was walking home, I guess, although I don't know why Brady abandoned him. When I finished unpacking, which didn't take very long seeing as everything either went onto a big pile on the floor to be washed or in my drawers, I went and sat outside in the back yard, waiting for something to do. Not that there was much of that, but I couldn't just stay in my room going out of my mind.

The pulling in my stomach had eased off a little when I managed to calm down a bit, but I could still feel it, pulsing, waiting, trying to make me find Collin and– do what? Do nothing, I suppose. What could I do? I just wanted to see him, watch his face and… argh! I don't know how to do this! To just be around him! It's too confusing! The one thing I want most in the world right now and I _can't_ do it! I just don't know what to say…

I lay down in the grass, waiting for someone to bother me. My parents had gone out – not that they'd really been here when I got back. Seeing as the both thought I'd be away for a few more days, they'd planned to go to Port Angeles for a look around. My dad had got back from wherever he'd been not long after me, and he was just slightly shocked when I ran down the stairs and pretty much tackled him. I hadn't been so rough with my mom, but she's more delicate than he is. Justin was nowhere to be found, but that wasn't quite so important right now. As long as he wasn't dodging cars he was fine.

Now that I was alone, I was practically a vegetable: I couldn't even be bothered to flick the ant which was so annoyingly crawling over my leg. My mouth was becoming dry and I could feel my stomach gurgling, punishment for not being active enough to get something out of the fridge. I don't feel like talking anymore. I don't even want to think. There's too much to think about…

A sudden lurch in my stomach made me gasp for breath as I rolled onto my side to curl up in a ball. _It was back…_ He was getting closer… I pushed myself up off the ground and ran through the house so I could peer out of the window, just in time to see two monstrous boys walk right past my house. _Collin…_ I was out of the door before I could even breath in again, my hands clammy and wringing each other nervously. I half-jogged up to them.

"Hey, found it," Brady said, producing a cell phone from his pocket. He glanced at me over Collin's shoulder and smiled, chuckling to himself before turning and walking away, waving over his shoulder. "See ya."

It took a second for Collin to say something, and then it was filled with suspicion. "Brady, what are–"

"Collin?" I interrupted quickly, folding my arms in front of me to try and hide how anxious I was feeling. My stomach performed flips and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Collin turned around immediately and stared down at me.

"I knew it!" he muttered in… awe?

"Knew what?" I asked, watching him back, but trying to avoid his gaze at the same time. "And can you stop with the staring, it's kinda starting to creep me out."

"You swore at me earlier," Collin stated simply, his expression changing slightly with a hint of confusion. His expression swapped to surprise, like he wasn't in control of what he was saying.

"Uh, no I didn't, I didn't…" Oh shit. "_Oh_, you heard that?" I couldn't help but laugh at how stupid this was, brushing some hair out of my eyes as I giggled. "I wasn't swearing _at_ you, I was just, uh, turning my frustration into an exclamation. You know, like… yeah." Oh _well done_, Maddison! You have _truly_ outdone yourself this time!

"Your hair's shorter," Collin noticed, eyeing my new hair length. I'd had it cut shorter a few days ago so the longest part just about reached halfway between my shoulder and elbow. It was easier to manage than the old length, but I still wasn't used to it.

"Yeah, I got it trimmed a few days ago, but… it doesn't really feel right, so I'm going to have to wait for it to grow back. Still…" I looked back up at Collin and found him looking right into my eyes, making me shift uncomfortably and smile nervously down at my feet.

"So you're back early," Collin word-vomited again.

"Oh, um, I guess. I, uh," I paused for a second, knowing what would happen next. _Say it, Maddison, just SAY IT!_ "I don't know, I guess I got a bit homesick." I looked up at him for a fraction of a second before my eyes dropped to the ground again and I laughed to myself. Damn, I sounded so stupid… "You're taller." How's that for word-vomit?

"It happens sometimes," Collin shrugged at me, making me just grin again. "You haven't really–"

Enough talking. I launched myself at Collin and wrapped my arms around her neck before smothering myself with his t-shirt. Collin pulled me closer so I was crushed against him, but in a good way as my stomach soared and plummeted again, my head spinning as I breathed in his leafy smell.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you too."

I didn't let go of Collin for a while, and we just stood there hanging on to each other for dear life (in my case). Eventually I had to admit that I had far surpassed the line, so I detached my arms and just leaned against him, my face still completely hidden. I couldn't bring myself to let go of him completely, so I just revelled in the warmth his arms provided for me.

Oh, let him go now… This is just going to end badly… let go…

It took me a few minutes to worm out of Collin's arms, but even when I stop several feet away, he looked so happy, like just holding me was enough to make his day. Well, it probably was actually. Hopefully it made up for calling him a bastard, although I knew I still had a long way to go to fully compensate for ditching him for two weeks.

"Um…" I mumbled, mostly so I knew how stupid my voice was going to sound. "Do you want to, you know, uh, come in?" I asked, gesturing pathetically to my house. My hands clasped behind my back and I switched my weight from one foot to the other. I peeked up at Collin from under the bangs that swept over my eyes, and stopped when I saw the frozen state he was in. "Uh, Collin, are you…"

He shook his head and blinked quickly, blatantly staring at me again as he just about managed to get out, "Sure, ok." All right then… I took a few steps backward and Collin jumped into action, following me and standing pretty close as I opened the front door and led him inside.

To say he looked surprised to me acting like this is probably an understatement for many reasons: I asked him to basically hang out with me, Collin had never been inside my house before, my manners were in overdrive, and to be honest, I undoubtedly wasn't acting normal. That and my 'radical' make-over which included but was not restricted to haircuts, a change in the variety and quantity of makeup I used (basically nothing at the current time, and new, lighter coloured clothes, although they're still a tad dark. So he just scanned the hallway quickly before his eyes settled on me again as I closed the door behind us. I grabbed his arm to steer him into the kitchen, and our somewhat awkward conversation kinda went on from there.

…

Today's better, basically. No conversations that have included references to my hair or Collin's stature, which is still increasing even though he's been a werewolf for about a year now. That's not too bad actually, 'cus it makes him seem a little more normal, plus my parents won't be as suspicious when they notice he's still growing, so they'll think he's about my age or something. I mean, I _am_ going to tell him he's younger than me, but I think I'll wait a little longer until they've met him and are sorta used to him. Justin was a little apprehensive when he came home yesterday and saw us lounging around on the floor in the living room, but he forgot it quickly when he recognised Collin from school. Two more to go…

"Maddison! There's some guy here!" Speak of the devil and he doth appear. Yes, well, time to put the plan into action.

"I'm coming!" I shouted back, dropping my pencil and making my way down the stairs. Collin was waiting at the bottom and gave me a wide smile when he saw me. I stopped on the last step and followed his eyes to my mom who was leaning against the opposite wall, an innocent smile creeping its way onto her own face as she glanced between the two of us. "Collin, this is Ellen, Ellen, meet Collin," I introduced them quickly. "Where's Brandon?" Mom shrugged and her eyebrow rose a little higher.

"So… are you…" she alluded between us.

"Don't," I cut in. "No, we're not," I hissed to her, widening my eyes into glare. "Just go."

"Alright, I'm being polite, Maddison, it doesn't hurt." And she left, wandering down the hallway, off to find dad.

"Sorry about…" Collin looked back at me and smiled again.

"Ok… I was just, uh…" His eyes dropped away from me momentarily before they caught mine again. "Do you want to, um, do something. Today, with me, I mean?" He looked like he was waiting for me to tell him to piss off.

"Sure," I nodded quickly. "I'll just grab my shoes." I ran upstairs again, pulled my black sneakers on and snatched my wallet from my bag and made it down the stairs again in less than two minutes. And when I got there, I realised that Collin hadn't moved. Instead he was looking at something across the hall again.

"Ugh!" I groaned. "Collin, Brandon, Brandon, Collin, let's go!" And we were outside. Seriously, I mean, what happened to my parents not taking too much notice about who I was hanging around with? As soon as a boy appears, they're like 'ooh, who is he? How old is he? Do you like him? I think he likes you!' and so on and so forth, and it is so sickening. They _really_ wonder why I don't bring more people home.

…

_Collin_

So I met her parents… That was weird.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I know I'm an idiot for not posting months ago, and I don't even have a good excuse. Right. I've just finished this chapter. About five minutes ago, including spell-checking. Sorry!

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

_Maddison_

Day Nineteen: Boredom. For the most part. Mom found some old water pistols when she was cleaning out the shed. Not that that was her intention; it was supposed to be Dad and Justin's fabled day of 'bonding', in which they would clear out half the crap that's in there, clean the barbeque, and then cook for us. You know, 'cus men just love grilling stuff.

When that didn't happen for various reasons (Dad tripped at the bottom of the staircase and fell over, Justin went out with some of his friends), it was left up to mother and I. I found some lemonade and we sat around drinking that, occasionally getting up to shove things in black bags.

Just after noon, Collin made an appearance and knocked on the door a few times before he realised no one could hear him. My phone buzzed and I shouted for him to come round the side (oh yeah, we text now). The look on Mom's face when she saw him sheepishly peeping around the house was hilarious. Seriously, they've met several times but she always looks startled when he randomly appears. Can't blame her really, seeing as she's trying to figure out how we actually know each other. I'm sure if she still thought we were the same age, she wouldn't make so much fuss.

Yeah… Aunt Karen let slip about Collin when she made some obscure comment about "how happy we all are that Maddison is finally giving that boy a chance." Thank god Jared and Kim managed to cover that up pretty well…

It's just Mom by the way, not Dad. She pounced on me about three days ago, a few days after I got back from LA with, "So how did you meet Collin?" when I was washing up.

"Hm?" Yeah. My intelligent response. I wasn't really paying attention because she'd been leaning on the counter for a few minutes, flicking through the half-opened mail that had piled up there.

"How did you meet? Were you introduced by someone, did you meet at a party?" At that moment, I could tell something was up with her. She was attempting to appear slightly indifferent, like she wasn't too concerned, only she sucked at it.

"What party? I barely go to parties, remember? You locked me out once to try and make me _do_ something." That hadn't really worked though; the back door was unlocked.

"I'm just wondering… taking an interest…" Mom dropped the small pile of envelopes she was holding into a neat pile, before starting on the next heap.

"Uh, well… I dunno… I was leaving Aunt Karen's, and he was just walking up to talk to Jared… you know, and we just met then." I kept my gaze on the saucepan I was scrubbing while she digested the information.

"…When was that?"

"When… March, end of March, I think." I dunked the pan again and tipped the orange water out.

"Maddison! It's nearly July, and you've only just started being friends with him?" she pretty much screamed.

"Well, what did you expect? I hadn't exactly talked to him before!" I cried back, banging the pan upside down on the draining board.

"Maddison!"

"Mom!"

We both turned back to what we were doing for a moment.

"So how old is he?" she asked quietly, keeping her eyes averted.

"You always start your questions with 'so', you know?"

"Your point?"

I turned and leant back against the counter, crossing my arms and sending her an extremely bored look. I huffed. "So why do you want to know? I know _you_ know I've been… friends with him for a while, but you've never asked before."

"I'm taking an active role in your social life." And in a more serious voice: "And I want to make sure you're taking the necessary precautions in case you two decide–"

I cut her off quickly with a scowl. "No Mom! I'm not having–" Oh shit! Oh fuck! What the fuck? "I'm not doing THAT with _him_! No fucking way!"

"Hey, language!" Mom interjected quickly.

"Yes, language! I'm not gonna have sex with Collin! I'm not a cradle snatcher!" Heat was burning in my cheeks and crawling up the rest of my face, while the rest of my body started sweating like I was in the fucking Mojave.

"Don't overreact, Maddison, there can't be more than a few months between you–"

"HE'S FOURTEEN!" Mom froze, staring at me like I'd gone crazy. She struggled to find words as she computed what I'd just shouted.

"H-he can't be," she stammered, wringing her hands in confusion. "I mean, he's too…

"Tall? Kinda built? It's called puberty, Mom. It tends to happen." I waited a few seconds before continuing. "Remember when Jared had that weird growth spurt?

"Yeah… yeah…" she murmured to herself. I pushed my hair back out of my eyes and jumped up on the counter while she mulled it over.

"How come you asked anyway? Like I said, you haven't asked before…" She straightened a stack of mail and tilted her head to the side.

"No reason… Karen just mentioned–"

"What did she say?" I yelled.

…

So that happened… I didn't really mean to be quite as loud as I was, but I did start to panic a bit, especially when she was telling me about her conversation with Karen. Like I said before, I love Kim and Jared right now. They're like my favourite people in the world right now. Seriously.

Like always, Collin popped up the next day, and as a surprise, he was mildly interrogated by my mom about school and hobbies and stuff. I'm just happy he didn't say 'eighth grade' though. That would have brought the mood down. He just breezed over "starting ninth grade" instead. Nothing says mature like a freshman!

Today was pretty much normal then: warm weather, fluffy white clouds, cool breeze coming in off the sea. Yeah, it wasn't too bad.

"Hey Maddison. Hey Mrs Creek," Collin smiled as he walked toward us. Pre-revelation, Mom had told him to call her Ellen. Not anymore.

"Afternoon."

"Hey Collin," I waved back. "Pull up a folding chair." He grabbed one leaning against the side of the shed and set it up next to me, with a slight look of embarrassment and nervousness on his face. Yeah… it wasn't just my mom who was a bit wary right now.

"Thanks… what are you wearing?" he asked slowly, taking in my attire slowly. Oh Collin… all boys are the same…

"What does it look like? It's a dress. I wear dresses now," I smiled back slowly.

"I've never seen you wear one before."

"Well you have now. You like?" I waved the hem around a little as I slouched in my chair.

"Yeah, you look really nice." He pulled that same shy face he does whenever he says something like that, where he shuts his mouth quickly and his eyes wander away. It's kinda sweet when he does it, 'cus he always seems so young.

"Thank you." We sit there for a few minutes not saying anything and not really looking at each other, and my mom pottering around not far away, stealing glances at us occasionally. "Lemonade?" I asked him, breaking the silence.

"Uh, sure…" I pushed myself out of my seat and strolled across the grass to the back door, followed a second later by Collin. I softly shut the door behind us, checking the kitchen door quickly as Collin leaned back against the counter.

"Is your mom ok?" Collin asked quietly, glancing out the window then back at me.

"Uh, yeah, you know… She's still a bit…" I stopped talking and opened the fridge, reaching up to grab the soda bottle from the top shelf. Collin grabbed it before me though, leaning over me to pass it down before closing the fridge.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"You're welcome."

The corner of my mouth curled up as I turned away and pulled two glasses out, filling both and handing one to Collin, who watched me as I sipped my own. I watched him back for a few seconds as he drank his own before commenting, "Nice weather, right?"

Collin, of course, snorted into his own drink, trying not to laugh as he lowered it a little. "The weather? Seriously?"

"I'm just saying'…" I told him, holding my hand up defensively. "It's meant to be good tomorrow too."

"Ok?"

"Yeah, ok," I smiled back, tilting my head and brushing my hair off my face. "Well, you know what they say… sunny weather… you can go to the beach."

"The beach?" Collin repeated, his eyebrows knitting together a little.

"I did say that, didn't I?" I gave him a second before continuing. "Just an idea… Well, if you think it's completely terrible I guess I could stay here _all day_ tomorrow and _all day_ the next day. Maybe even the rest of the week, you know, because of the rain."

"You just said the weather's good. Now it's rain?" he told me slowly. "Are you feeling ok?" He held his hand to my forehead briefly before lowering it, tilting my head up with his finger. "You're a bit cold, Maddie, maybe you should see a doctor," Collin suggested, "And your pupils are _really_ small. Like, _tiny_."

"I get it, I get it…" I grumbled, pushing his hand away. "_Maybe_ it's just you, you know? Like, you have a fever." I shoved my own hands back on his face, covering his eyes as I felt around. "What is it? The flu? A virus? Could be a symptom of a brain infection, if you're that unfortunate…" I sighed, patting his cheek and turning away to pour some more lemonade.

Collin just grinned and ruffled my hair. "Very funny."

I froze the second his hand touched my head again. "_What_ do you think you are doing?!" I cried, rotating back on the spot and swatting his hands even as he lowered them back to his sides. He shrugged in his usual '_oh, maybe that wasn't a good move…_' way that was kinda cheesy. Even his smile had faded a little so he looked a teeny bit sheepish.

"I think–"

I cut him off quickly, quirking an eyebrow and shooting him a smile as his mouth sorta hung open mid-sentence. "So the beach then?"


End file.
